Can't Use Score Products?

[braznyc]

Hi, I'm fairly new to this forum (posting) but not reading. I've recently decided to get my financial house in order. I ordered a credit report last night from Experian, and it showed a score of 566. There is a car loan on my credit report that I've never applied for, and I will be working on getting that off, because one I never applied in Miami, and I don't know how to drive, nor do I have a state licence. I also have inquiries from auto finance companies. I'm not sure if I need to do more, because I got free reports from Transunion (I have to wait in the mail because my address didn't match, so I faxed my NY State ID), and Equifax only has legal NY State tax liens (3) which I just paid today in full, and more than likely won't come-off because they only give letters saying it's paid. Hey better than nothing. Anyways I tried to purchase the Score monitor product on here, but it's saying I basically have no credit with Equifax, I'm basically confused. It say I had to have accounts, etc. I'm like why does Experian have all these old accounts from 1996 and 1998 on my report but not the other two? Experian still shows my Amex which was closed by me and always paid on time. They have the 2 liens (not 3), and they show this auto finance crap that's not mines, Equifax is empty, besides the 3 tax liens, and Transunion I'll know in about a week or so via the mail. Anyone have an idea of how I can still use a score service, or am I like starting all over again? I'm currently back in college and just want to clear all my finances up for the future.I'm much wiser, and have lived for the past 3 years on my cash, and cash alone. I really did think I had ruined all my credit from college, but all seems to have dropped off. Sorry it's so long, perhaps one of you very nice and wise people can help me navigate this convoluted mess.

[SmartCookie]

Welcome aboard!

myfico is having some sorts of issues with EQ so give it a few days and try again.  Keep an eye on the products forum and see if Barry has any updates.

Don't dispute off of free reports... the company has more time to investigate before they must update or delete. 

The auto loan stuff is a bit unnerving and you need to find out if this was a reporting error or identity theft.  You need to also dispute all of the INQs that are not yours.

If you have no open credit cards, hold off on applying until you do some repair of all of this stuff on your reports.  Search the boards though on the BoA secured and 99/500 cards.  That's the only card you should bother with right now in my opinion. 

Sorry if I didn't hit all the points here but I'm sure you'll get lots more input from the fellow forumites.

[braznyc]

Thank you so much for your reply.

Yes, I've learned from reading here that it's better to write them to dispute incorrect information, etc rather than online - so I'll be doing that tomorrow.

I also won't be trying to get any "new" credit cards that are unsecured, but I have been thinking about getting a secured card to start to rebuild my credit. I'll look into the info you gave.

I'll also wait and retry to see if I can use these scoring products, I'd love to and loathe the idea that says I can't

I'm going to work on this car thing tomorrow, sadly there is no phone number for this company in the report, and I've googled them and the address and nothing. I will definitely get those inquiries off that are not ones I authorized, which is all the ones for an car - again I don't drive, never learned, don't have a license, so why would I attempt to buy a car. It's also unsettling to me, because it means either incorrect data was reported, or someone stole my identity - and the real bummer is for all these years I kept saying my credit was irreparable, meanwhile it looks like someone thought differently.

[braznyc]

Quick update:

I have found this company with a ton of googling and caching, that checked my credit and claims to be a auto finance company, they deal with used cars which might explain why they show a balance of $7300 originally. They have several numbers and names, and it's now looking very much like my identity was stolen. I'm not sure if I should call them or just go the NYC police department, or just let the CRA handle it all with me formally asking them to remove it? I'm sorry if I sound like a broken record, but all of this makes me very nervous and upset.

[SmartCookie]

Hey braz... I'm a NYer too!

I've got to run but will be back later.

PLEASE get a police report now.  No thinking about it, you need it.  You might have to go in... and you don't need to get over there now unless it's across the street, but go tomorrow at the latest. 

Be back.

[braznyc]

Cool, two New Yawkers is better than one lol!

I called my local precent and will go tomorrow to file a report. I'm still thinking should I mail my letter to the CRA, which is only Experian which shows this account now, or should I fax it.

Also, those tax liens are going to be the death of me, although I paid them off. I still have 3 more to pay - I know me and taxes woah lol. Seriously the last 3 aren't filed yet, but I am going to call the NYS tax department tomorrow and just find a way to pay them all off in 60 days, because goodness knows I don't want anymore liens for taxes.

Other than that after I get the fraud auto account off, pay off one sprint bill, and remove those false inquiries I'll think my score with Experian will go lower, because it will be like new credit or new and deliquent credit lol. I'm going to definitely apply for a secured card, and build, build, build. I'm going to pay for my next semester with financial aid, and my own hard earned savings, and hopefully by 2009 I can go for a student loan without a high interest rate, etc - IF I need too. It's not the route I'd like to take, but just in case I do need to get a student loan, at least I won't have to suffer my education for horrible credit.

I'm still baffled by someone actually getting a car loan with one my credit (the company claims to give sub-prime car loans), and two well again I don't drive, never had a license and I've NEVER received a letter from these people. I can't wait to get to the bottom of all of this.

You've been so helpful Smartcookie, thanks so much for responding.

[SmartCookie]

And they say NYers are not friendly!  

Good work on the police issue.  Have you pulled any reports at annualcreditreport.com?  If not, pull all 3 and make hard copies of everything. Also make hard copies of any reports that you were able to pull...whatever you have been looking at.

Read this info on identity theft.    http://www.myfico.com/Downloads/Files/myFICO_IDTheft_Booklet.pdf  Also, each of the 3 CRAs will have related info to read.  At the minimum you're going to need a Fraud Alert on your files.  In NY we are also able to get Security Freezes, which are more iron-clad.  Again, each CRA has it's own education section on all of this to peruse.  http://www.experian.com/consumer/help/states/ny.html

Once you have a FA or SF on your CRAs, it's a lil inconvenient to apply for credit but you still can.  So... you may want to slap these on ASAP or wait depending on what your gut says. I'd probably try to get a few things taken care of before putting on a SF.  BTW...  there are many other types of credit reports that may have bad stuff on them... there is a huge list on the forum somewhere.  Put that on the to do list! 

With the police report and Identity Theft issue you'll be able to get all that stuff wiped off easy.  Any INQ you did not make needs to come off hard or soft.  You should contact the SSA to see if anyone has used your SSN for employment.

I'm not a lien pro... so search the boards to make sure you are taking care of it in the most effective way.  Before paying Sprint, offer a PFD if the account is closed and fairly negative.

We'll get you fixed up here!  Enough for now, I don't want to overwhelm.  One thing at a time... 3 annual credit reports printed (EQ should work there), new reports printed, police report and complaint number (ask if you need to report it to FL police yourself or if they do).  Then have a slice and recharge... and get the Identity Issue stuff mailed to the 3 CRAs.  PM me if you need... I'm sometimes around when it's late and dead here if you have any problems and no one is around.

[braznyc]

Oh my goodness thank you for all of that!

I did contact the finance company let me tell you what a big fat crazy person I looked like to these people. Turns-out it's not an auto loan, and no one stole my identity (new yawkers are so paranoid), what it turns out to be is a very old account that was purchased by this new company, which in some round about way does auto loans and purchases portfolios etc. That's how they got mines. The man I spoke with was nice, and claimed he was the owner of the company and that he sometimes answers the phone, after much chatting I remembered who the original creditor was BUT here is the kicker he's showing 1998 as when I got the loan, and the loan maturing in 2007 since it said something about 48 months on my credit report. I'm like NOOOO, I got the loan to pay off medical bills (it was only for medical doctors) but it wasn't a loan it was like a credit card, but just for that doctor. Anyway this was in 1996, as I called the doctor and had his receptionist confirm, they even have a copy of the paperwork. Before I had my proof I explained to the man I was talking too, that this was not 1998 but 1996 and there is absolutely no way this thing should STILL be on my credit report etc. He said he was going to pull my records from his archives, give him 30 days, he claims if they can't find my records or it takes longer than 30 days it they will send me a letter saying they'll delete the account from my credit report, but if he does get the paperwork and it shows the loan from 1998 he will send me a copy of it, etc. I did express my willing to work with him, and that I wasn't trying to hide, but I dispute the dates, etc.

I truly do not believe and now I know for a fact based on what my doctors office faxed me that this loan is from 1996, not 1998, he claims it matured in 2001 and won't come off my report until 1998, again I'm looking at the application and approval letter, and it says nothing about it being any kind of loan, but rather a credit account for medical services etc and it's clear as day July of 2006 is when I applied and got approved, with a co-signer mind you.

I'm sorry for originally misstating the facts, I was so confused by the auto loan info on my credit report, and it just looked bogus. I also asked the man why he pulled my credit back in August he was like because you owed money, and I explained to him but why does it say Auto finance etc. He was at a loss for words, I asked him didn't he have to have permission etc, he said he didn't know - again it's such a weird company. But he said he purchased my account from Citifinancial which took over the company I originally got the account with.

Now, all I can do is wait and see what he tells me, and keep on top of it. I guess if he comes back with this 1998 stuff then I'd have to worry, which again I have proof on my end that counters, all this 48 months crap is not anywhere on the paperwork my doctors office had.

Should I do anything else? I'm going to wait to dispute it because I want to see what he has in his records, but if he comes back with more bogus stuff then I'm going to dispute it with my proof etc.

Thanks so much for allowing me to figure all this out, and Smart Cookie --- you sure are my fico friend!!

Sadly, I still can't use FICO products because this Equifax has NOTHING on my credit report besides those liens, but no accounts etc.

Should I still try to get the BOA secured card? I mean what if they pull that Experian and it shows me late etc?

[Anonymous]

You are being WAY too nice.

Tell him to remove or be sued for non-pp access to your credit report and "malice or willful intent to injure"

[braznyc]

Really? I'm so freaking confused, again I know this is from 1996, not 1998 and he claims it matured in 2001 (sorry I think I mistyped 2007), based on it from 1998. He seems more than willing to delete it, saying it's their policy if it takes them more than 30 days to get to my archived records, again the company sounds bogus but he claims if I dispute it with Experian, they'll just respond back saying it's a real account etc, so that's why I asked for the proof before I dispute it, because I did threaten to take him to court, based on the records I have etc. I loathe this because now I feel like I'm stalled at trying to repair my credit. I need to start now not later.